Yes, if you don't want to use it or you are not doing any development in Java, no need to keep it there. But keep in mind, if you uninstall the Java form your laptop, it's better to install latest JRE(Java Run-time Environment) separately. If not you cannot deal with applets and so on, when you are browsing the web.

Java on Laptop?

If I dump JAVA, what impact will that have on the operation of the computer?
If it will hamper the applets (whatever that is), what else will happen?
I need to be educated on this and I really feel like a dummy.
Appreciate your help.

If I dump JAVA, what impact will that have on the operation of the computer?
If it will hamper the applets (whatever that is), what else will happen?
I need to be educated on this and I really feel like a dummy.
Appreciate your help.

Simply, you can't execute any Java application. That's it. This is not specific to Java, common for any application.

Yes, seems to me this question doesn't make any sense. You asking something general, not specific to Java at all. I don't think that anyone can say how many website depends on Java. It's really stupid question, in my view.